TSUNAMIS
by Anastasija Zeljkovic
- Once the water is moved by an earthquake or other event, large waves like ripples spread out from the point where the water first moved.These waves can move quickly and for very long distances. As the waves travel through the deep parts of the ocean, their crest is usually short, only a few feet tall. This makes it difficult to detect a tsunami as they are not necessarily visible in the deep ocean.When the waves approach land and shallow water, they pile up and grow in height.At the coastline, a trough of the wave may appear. This will cause drawback to occur on the shoreline. The water may recede for some distance. This can be dangerous as people may be tempted to walk out into the open area.When the wave arrives on the shore, it will usually be a tall wall of water. The water will rush inland, sometimes for some distance and with great speed and power. The height of the tsunami wave will depend on the topography of the shoreline.
2.Even though tsunamis slow down as they approach the shoreline, they can still be travelling at highway speeds of over 50 miles per hour. A huge wall of water traveling at this speed can cause major damage. A large tsunami can travel many miles inland and wiping out entire coastal cities.
3.Tsunamis can occur in any major body of water. They are most common in the Pacific Ocean where there are lots of underwater earthquakes and volcanoes. Countries with long coastlines on the Pacific Ocean such as Japan, Chile, and the United States are all at risk of being hit by a tsunami. However, tsunamis can happen anywhere
4. If a strong enough earthquake occurs to cause a tsunami, coastal cities and towns are warned to evacuate or seek higher ground
North Pacific Coast, Japan - 11 March 2011
Sumatra, Indonesia - 26 December 2004
Iquique, Chile- 01 April 2014
- There is an earthquake or the ground rumbles a lot.
- The sea suddenly pulls back and leaves bare sand, making the beach seem a lot larger.
- Animals may behave strangely - they may suddenly leave, gather in groups, or try to get into places they normally would not like to go.